Dispensing and measuring apparatus



Oct. 14, 1930. H. c. CUSHING 1,773,449

DISPENSING AND MEASURING APPARATUS Filed June 2, 1928 IIIIIIIIIII ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 14, 1930 ,HERBERT G. CUSHING, BABE, MONTANA DISPENSING AND MEASURING APPARATUS Application filed June 2, 1928. Serial No. 282,488.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in dispensing and measuring apparatuses, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture.

The device which forms the subject matter of my invention is adapted to be associated with hermetically sealed containers such as the cans employed for the dispensing of cofifee and similar products.

An object of the invention, ancillary to the foregoing, is to arrange my device such that it will embody a piercing arrangement so as to facilitate the insertionthereof into a can.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the abovenamed character which Will embody a sealing ring so as to prevent the entrance of moisture into the can around my improved device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above named character which will be arranged such that it will measure a predetermined quantity of material to be dispensed therethrough. 1

A still further objectof the invention is to arrange the device such that it will agitate the material in the can when it is desired to dis pense the material therefrom.

Other objects will appear hereinafter. The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be bestunderstood by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein a. preferred form of construction is shown and in which:

' Fig. 1 is an elevational View depicting a preferred embodiment of my invention in association with a container such as a coffee can;

. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in eleva tion and partly in section, depicting my device in association with above named character;

-Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 on Figure 2;

a container of the 'Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4'4 on Figure 2;

tially rectangular portion Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 on Figure 2; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line 66 on Figure 2.

In the drawing, wherein a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated, 10 indicates a container of the type hereinbefore mentioned. 11 generically indicates my im proved dispensing and measuring device. A dispensing and measuring device of the character I herein show is described and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial Number 232,113, filed on or about November 9, 1927, and entitled, Coffee meters.

My dispensing device includes a substan- 12 which is preferably elongated in length. In the wall 13 of this elongated portion 12, two spaced apart slots 14 and 15 are provided. Plates 16 and 17 are provided which are adapted to extend into the interior of the housing 12 through the slots 14 and 15 respectively. Mounted on the exterior surface of the wall 13 at substantially the midpoint between the slots 14 and 15, is a substantially U-shaped bearing member 18. A rock plate 19 is provided and has depending flanges 20 at the edges thereof which are adapted to be pivotally connected to the ears of the bearing member 18. A leafspring 21 is provided which is disposed between the outer surface of the wall 13 and the inner side of the rock member 19 and serves to hold-said rock member in a position such that the plate 17 will be held in a position such that it will tend to close passage through the member 12. Whenthe plate 17 is disposed in this position, the plate 16 is arranged so as to have the inner edge thereof disposed to extend a slight distance interiorly of the housing 12, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

The wall 22 of the housing 12, which is preferably disposed opposite the wall 13, is arranged so as to be elongated and is provided with'a sharpened edge 23 soas to pro vide a piercing element. The walls 24 and 25 of the housing 12, extend below the inner end of the wall 13 and the inner ends thereto are rounded to provide sharpened i into the interior of the housing 12. user of the device, by depressing the rocking edges 26, said edges merging into the edges '23 of the wall 22 as shown in Fig. 4. Openings 27 are provided in the extended portions of the wall members 2e and 25, for a purpose to be made apparent presently. A flange member 28 is disposed around the housing 12 so as to be disposed at the lower end of the wall'13'and this flange member 28 includes an upwardly extending portion 29 that is extended along the wall 22. The

Y flange member 28 is secured tothe housing; 1-2

V in any approved manner so as connected thereto to preventfldlsplacement to be rigidly thereof. Arranged on the side of the device provided with the boss-29 is a downwardlydepending boss 30 which is preferably arranged so asto be disposed outwardly with respect to the wall 22 and a locking screw 31 is provided adjacent the outer end of this boss 30. A washer32 of fibrous material is disposed fbelow'the flange member 28, and therefore, when the member ll i's arranged such that the piercing element 23 will be caused to cut a hole in the upper side of the can in order that the device may be arranged in the manner shown in' Figure 2,this washer will prevent the'passageof air into the can. WVh'en the'dev'ice is arranged inthe manner shown inFigure 2, the lockingscrew -31is run in so as to engage the c'anand thus prevent displacement of the device 11. f It is apparent that the wall 13' is truncated and therefore, theportions disposed within the can will be opened'towardthis wall 13. Therefore, when the can is inverted. asshown in Figure 2, the material therein will be caused to pass through the openings 2']? and through this open'side, and willflow dplwn he member 19, may cause the plate 16 to be movedinto'closing position with respect to the interior of the housing 12, and at this same time, the plate 17 will be retracted from closing position. Therefore, the material whichwill'have been disposed in the housing 12 between the area between the plates 16 and 17 will be dispensed therefrom and by regulating the size of this space, the amount of material dispensed may be controlled. It is apparent that this feature of the device affords a means for measuring the material which is (obviously an advantage. As soon as the user releases the member 19, the spring 21 will I re-position the parts in the position shown in Figure 2.

I have found that material such as coffee is sometimes slow pouring; that is,'it tends to cake and'does not freely flow through a dispenser such as I have indicated. 1, therefore, provide an agitatin'g mean's which comprises the following structure; Disposed interiorly I of the housing 12, at the lower end of thewall 13 is a shaft member 32. An agitating member-comprising arms 33 formed in the manner the. openings,-27will be agitated and it will therefore freely flow into the dispensing device. Theopenlsidel-referred to hereinbefore is indicated by 37 in Figure 6, wherein it will be-seenthat ample space is provided for the passage of' the material into theinterior ofthe housing 12.

It is apparent from the foregoing description' thatl'have provided a device which will embody an arrangementsuch that it may be expeditiously inserted into a hermetically sealed can. I Further,thedeviceembodies an arrangement which will prevent air passage into the can when it is in installed'pos-ition. In addition to the foregoing,the"device embodies an arrangement "which will be expeditiously installed, and which will be concealed from View and this arrangementis such that it will agitate the material so as to cause entrance thereof into the dispensing and measuring portion ofthe device.

VVhileI have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention-into effect, this is capable of variation and modificatiomwithout departing from the spirit'of the invention. I, therefore, do notwish to be limited to the precise details of construction herein set forth, but desire to avail myselfofsuch variations and modifications-as come within the scope of the appended claim; l

.Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: p

A dispensing and measuringdevice including a housing, one ofthe walls of said housing being provided with slots and having its inner end portion disposed in a plane below the inner end of the wall of the housing, opposite thereto, and said inner end portion being provided with sharpened edges, said housing having opposite corresponding walls extending downwardly. and having rounded inner end portions provided with sharpened edges merging into the first mentioned sharpened-edge, said oppositecorresponding wall portions having openings "formed therein, a stop shoulder formed on through openings formed in one of said valve members, a means carried by the housing on the exterior thereof for alternately moving said Valve members, and means for securing said housing to a container with the shoulder abutting and adjacent Wall of said container.

- In testimony whereof I afiEix my signature.

HERBERT O. CUSHING. 

